


My One Of A Kind DJ (Pete White x Fem!Reader)

by rmorningstar21



Category: The Venture Bros
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmorningstar21/pseuds/rmorningstar21
Summary: This entire fic is set around P.R.O.M., where reader is Pete's old co-host, co-DJ, and best friend.  The two of them hadn't spoken since college, but the moment that Rusty Venture brings up the homeschool prom for the boys, Pete knows exactly who he wants to invite.  The majority of this is based before the prom itself, and is the whole cliche "I don't want to ruin what we have" trope.  I absolutely loved writing this, though, and I love the heck out of Pete, so I had to.Disclaimer: This is purely a work of fanfiction using characters from the Venture Bros world, which is trademarked by Christopher McCulloch and Doc Hammer. The characters used belong to them, and I do not claim them as my own, nor do I claim you as the “reader”.
Relationships: Pete White/Reader, The Alchemist/Shore Leave
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> This fic, though I love the concept, likely will not be getting a continuance. My goal of this one was to base it specifically around P.R.O.M., and I'd like to do a few fics with this concept in the future. I feel like, especially with Reader Inserts, these episodes give so much time before, after, and in between that you can make something beautiful out of.

Through the steam, you could hear the incessant ringing reverberating through the room.  _ Probably another client,  _ you thought to yourself with disdain, pushing through the foggy bathroom, towel in hand as you grabbed the cellular device with your free hand. Flicking it up to your ear, you allowed an aggravated huff to escape your lips before forcing a smile upon your face. Pressing the accept button, your voice was a bit of a cheerful robot as you said, “Propetural Progressed; we make your miracles a reality. You have Y/N. How may I help you?”

“Propetural Progressed, huh?” you could hear a familiar voice on the other line say. “If you make miracles a reality, just maybe you’ll be able to help me.”

Though the voice seemed so teasing, almost like a prank call. You dried yourself off as you listened, finding your lips curling upwards at the taunt. As there had only been one person to sound like that, and tease you so much, you could not help your assumptions. Playing wryly, you said in a playful tone, “What miracle may I make a reality for you today, sir?”

“Well, I’m looking for, ya know, this one of a kind DJ,” he replied in a teasing tone, immediately solidifying what you had been thinking. “She used to be a co-host of mine, and I was wondering if she’d like to DJ for old times sake.”

“Didn’t you get into the super science field as well, Pete?” you questioned with a quirked brow as you tried to stifle your laughter. As you spoke, you pulled on your outfit for the day, your grin never leaving your lips. “Last I heard, you founded your own company as well.”

“Ah, jeez, where do you get your intel?” he said with a chuckle. “Conjectural Technologies, but that ain’t the point. I’m doing a little side gig for, you remember Rust?”

You rolled your eyes at his words, but you could not help your perked interest as you exited the bathroom, fully clothed. “I’m not sure I could forget,” you said with a giggle, remembering how much he used to harass your roommate, to the point that she would not hang around the group. “Where exactly is this event being held, ever-popular Pete?”

“Colorado Springs, Colorado,” he said enthusiastically. “It’s nothing special, but I thought maybe we’d have fun, for old time sake. Rusty’s kids are getting a home-school prom.”

“Aw, that actually sounds kind of cute,” you said with a giggle, before walking up to your calendar to check your schedule. Skimming your hand against the page, all you saw was work, work, and more work. It had been like that for you ever since you formed your business, and it was not like you normally got a break from the action. “When is it?”

“In a couple days, but it would be nice if you could come over beforehand to work on the set,” he replied, almost in a hopeful tone. “If you’re busy, ya know, it’s no pressure. I just-.”

“Can’t do it without your lovely cohost?” you jested, a smirk against your lips as you spoke. “Don’t worry, Pete, you’re actually doing me a favor. I’ve needed a little time off for who knows how long.” Pausing, you glanced down at your formal attire, frowning as you realized you’d have to change out of what you just had changed into. “It’ll take me roughly 6 hours to get there, but if you could send me your home address, it would be nice to know where I’m heading to.” 

“Six hours!” Pete exclaimed with a shocked tone. “Where are you living now?”

“You really didn’t do research before you called me, did you?” you replied with a giggle. “I’m in New York City now. Luckily, a short Venture actually owes me a favor, so I’ll be flying first class.”


	2. II

Waving to Jonah Venture Jr, you sucked in a deep breath before turning to walk towards the desolate trailer that had been addressed to you by Pete. You watched as the X-1 took off, leaving you with your car parked in the sand beside the trailer. With a sudden bit of anxiety in the pit of your stomach, you rose your hand to knock upon the door of the trailer, rapping three times before you patiently waited. 

As the door opened, you found yourself glancing downwards at a ginger haired male with a hydrocephalic condition. Sheepishly, you smiled down at the man, saying, “Uh, hello. I’m Y/N L/N. Pete sent me the address?”

“White!” the ginger haired male called out, turning his head so that he was yelling into the trailer. “Your girlfriend’s here!” After his words, your brows furrowed, though you could feel your cheeks heating with blush at those words. As he finished calling into the trailer, he moved to the side, motioning a robotic hand for you to walk inside the home. “I’m Master Billy Quizboy, boy genius.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” you could hear Pete say as he began walking into the living room. “He’s maybe ten years younger than we are. And come on, pally, she’s not my girlfriend. Don’t make her uncomfortable.”

“I hung around our college group for how long?” you jested. “I don’t think anything could make me uncomfortable by this point, Pete.” As you spoke, you set your bag down on a chair before walking over and embracing Pete in a friendly hug, a grin against your lips. “It is such a pleasure to see you again.”

Though he paused for a moment, he wrapped his arms around you in return, a touch of blush rising in his own cheeks. “I honestly can’t believe you said yes,” he said with a chuckle, placing a hand behind his head as he grew a little sheepish after the two of you separated. The sarcasm came right back as he continued, motioning to his roommate. “Billy over here didn’t help with the whole  _ Why would you invite someone you haven’t seen in years to a homeschool prom _ , but, ya know.”

“Nonsense,” you replied with a grin, motioning with your hand as you did so to emphasize your point. “You could have probably just told me you wanted to see me and I would’ve at a drop of a hat. Work’s been stifling lately.”

“You're a computer scientist, just like White, aren’t you?” Billy asked quizzically. 

You chuckled, shaking your head as you did. “Last time I was looking for a computer scientist, I found out about Conjectural Technologies,” you replied with a shrug. “I’m a virologist.”

“Looking for,” Pete said curiously, quirking a brow as his red eyes glanced over to you. “You were going to try to hire me?”

You shrugged your shoulders, a sheepish smile against your lips. “Yeah, I was,” you replied with a hint of shyness in your tone. “Back when I was first starting out, it was a small team, and I thought you were still out of your field. When I heard about your company, I thought it best not to bug you about some little hole in the wall at the time.”

“I just, I can’t believe you thought of me,” Pete said with a chuckle, a grin stretched across his face as he spoke. “How long have you known about Conjectural Technologies?”

“Somewhere over 15 years by this point,” you replied with a smile. “But I’m out of the shop right now, so I’d love to hear about you, sans my business intel.”


	3. III

Lying upon Pete’s bed, you held your head up with your elbows at an acute angle, your head resting atop your palms as you gazed over to Pete’s laptop. He sat beside you, towering over you from the angle that he had been sitting, while his laptop rested in his lap. As the two of you scrolled through music choices, you murmured, “So, you said these boys were prom aged, so safe to assume about 18. Do you know their tastes?”

“We’re the ones working the magic,” he chided in return. “What stands out best to you?”

“Well, I’d quarter playlist Our Lips Are Sealed,” you said, taking a glance up at the handsome albino beside you, a smile tugging against your lips. “Maybe Just Like Heaven somewhere around the quarter point. Electric Love somewhere near the halfway point.”

“Slow down there,” he said with a chuckle. “It seems like you’re not out of practice. Fun Boys Three or The Go-Go’s for Our Lips Are Sealed?”

“Oh!” you said with a soft chuckle, a tint of blush rising in your cheeks as you bit your lip, thinking about which would be better to use at the prom. “I’d say Fun Boys Three. The Go-Go’s are-”

“A little stale?” Pete said with a chuckle, finishing your sentence to a t. “Well, I completely agree, and you haven’t changed at all, have you?”

“We’ve been out of college for so long, Pete,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Just because my music taste hasn’t evolved since the 80’s doesn’t mean I haven’t. I’m sure you have, too. I mean, hell, you defied physics somehow and got even more attractive. Not sure how you managed that one.” As you said your last two sentences, you said them in a teasing tone, your smirk clear against your face as your eyes flickered up to him for a moment. 

“See, like that,” he said, crimson heated against his ivory cheeks, “you’re still as witty as you were in college, too.” Pausing to re-compose himself, he continued a little sheepishly. “And ah, thank you. You look, well, amazing. I’m sure you’ve been making someone real happy.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Just my mirror, maybe,” you said sarcastically. “The job and I have been on a pretty exclusive I-get-no-time-to-myself relationship. I’d hope you’ve had more luck in that department, handsome.”

“You and the rest of the world have much different opinions on my looks,” he said with a chuckle. “Oh, how about Lips Like Sugar?”

You could tell the shift, biting your lip gently as you felt as if you should say something. Instead, you opted to avoid the subject for now, replying with, “How about putting that a little before Our Lips Are Sealed, then? Or is that putting two lips songs too close together?”

“I, uh,” Pete stammered for a second, taking a glance down to your lips before his red gaze shifted back to the computer screen. “That sounds perfect.”

“Alright, so, if we want to throw in some non-romantic pieces, we could do Video Killed The Radio star,” you chimed in. 

“Now you’re going older than 80’s,” Pete teased with a smirk against his lips. “I thought you were trying to go more modern.”

“Well,” you said, moving your hands to bury your face in your hands as you sighed, before glancing back up with a deadpan look, “If we’re going more modern, Pete, then you’re going to have to go modern, since I’m suggesting from the songs I know.”

“Ya know, we need to get you caught up then,” he teased, before skimming through his playlist and clicking on something that seemed random to you. “Welcome to the early 2000s.”

“I mean, it’s different,” you replied thoughtfully as you began listening to the song, seemingly another song about attraction based upon the lyrics of the song. As you listened to it with Pete, you couldn’t help the feeling of blush rising in your cheeks, biting your lip gently to quell it. Growing closer to the conclusion of the song, you finally chimed back in. “Alright, I’d vote to add that in.” 

“Have you, like, not listened to the radio since the 80’s?” he questioned with a quirked brow, his red eyes trailing down to you as he spoke. 

Embarrassment rising in your cheeks, you glanced to his bed as you replied, “Well, I normally just listen to my playlist. What can I say? No one’s been as fun as we were.”

“Somehow I don’t believe that,” he replied, rolling his eyes, his tone sarcastic as he spoke. 

“I have maybe three or four modern artists,” you said, shrugging as you spoke. “Ones some workers showed me. Let me think, uh, Rise Against, Flight Facilities, which just kind of sounds like revamped 80s, and like two super girly artists that I’m embarrassed to even admit.”

“Okay, now you have to say them,” Pete said with a smirk against his lips, leaning down to meet your eyes directly. “Ain’t a way you’re not saying them now.”

“There is no way I’m embarrassing myself in front of you, gorgeous,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “You have absolutely no leverage.”

“No leverage?” he said with a laugh, before moving to set his laptop on the stand beside the bed. “I happen to, ya know, remember a little something about you, Y/N.”

“And what would that be?” you questioned, suddenly sitting up as you eyed the albino male with a curious look. Before you even had the chance to say anything else, his nimble fingers had already delved into your sides, tickling your mercilessly with a smirk against his lips. “How- how would y-you ever remember this?” As you spoke, you had to force your words out between fits of laughter, your cheeks crimson as he managed to get on top of you completely. 

“Because this is how I would always get you to confess something,” he said with a smirk as he continued to mercilessly tickle your sides. “Are you going to give up yet, Y/N/N?”

You felt your cheeks heated with the deepest blush as you listened to Pete use your old nickname, though your lungs were desperately begging for the air his tickling was depriving you of. “F-Fine, you win,” you managed to struggle out, your cheeks as red as they possibly could be as you now lied underneath Pete. Staring up into his red gaze, you said, barely above a whisper, “Jaymay and Ingrid Michaelson. Make fun of me as you will.”

“You weren’t kidding,” he whispered in return, a smirk against his lips as his breath radiated off of your lips. “Those are super girly. I’ll introduce you to some more recent ones I know you’ll like, though. Once you’re caught up, you know, I’m sure we’ll be able to finish this playlist together.”

Your breath practically hitched in your throat by this point as you felt him practically talking into your mouth, his voice just loud enough for you to hear. So badly, you wished you could just close the gap between the two of you, and yet all the what if’s managed to stop you. In a teasing tone, you replied, “Are we going to accomplish this with you on top of me? I mean, I’m not complaining, simply curious as to how you’re going to work your laptop.”

For a moment, Pete paused where he was, as if he had been debating something. Biting his lip, clearly flustered, he moved off of you, before grabbing his laptop. “Prepare to experience a whole new world,” he said with a smirk, before moving back so that he was sitting back against the pillows, around where you had been lying still. 

***

Groggily, you woke to realize that you had covers and an albino both wrapped around your waist. Glancing down in a panic, you breathed a silent sigh of relief as you realized you had still been wearing the same attire you had when you arrived. Blush still fluttered to your cheeks as you felt him holding you close to him, your heart pounding in your chest at your realization. As much as your heart fluttered to lay in that safety, you quietly moved yourself out of his embrace. 

Sneaking out to the kitchen, you could already smell the breath of morning coffee tickling your nostrils, calling out to you. The exuberant smile of Pete's roommate caught your gaze, a cup of coffee already in his grasp. A groggy, "Good morning," slipped from your lips without a thought. 

"Did you two have fun last night, wink, wink?" Billy said blatantly, a tease in his tone. "I heard a ton of music before heading to bed myself." As he spoke, he grabbed a coffee cup off of the shelf for you, just about at the end of his reach. He handed it to you, as if the words he spoke had been as normal as a simple good morning greeting. 

You felt your cheeks darken with blush, surely hot to the touch. Biting your lip, you murmured groggily, "He was introducing me to newer music," your voice a touch sheepish despite your groggy state. As you spoke, you attempted to throw off your fluster, reminding yourself that it had been an often occurrence when the two of you were in college. Rusty had been one of the main ones to constantly dig at the two of you, questioning if you were sleeping together. Looking back, you wondered why you hadn't. 

_ "Oh come on, you guys," Rusty said in a clearly unamused tone as he motioned between the younger you and Pete. "You're totally sleeping together. Just admit it. She's rocking your bed, and he's, I dunno. It's obvious! So fucking obvious! I don't get what you two get from hiding it."  _

_ "We aren't hiding anything," you replied with a shrug, leaning against Pete as you spoke. "We're close, what's your fascination with us sleeping together?"  _

_ "I mean, come on, pally," Pete chimed in afterwards, brushing a strand of your hair from his shoulder before playfully pushing you to the bed the two of you were sitting upon. With nimble fingers, he attacked your sides, though he kept his gaze with Rusty. "She's my co-host, and one of my best friends. Why would we screw with that?"  _

_ "Because you two are so oblivious!" Rusty exasperated, his arms flailing into the air as he watched the scene before him. "You two dig each other, and I could be blind and still see it."  _

You weren't even sure exactly the point that you poured the black liquid into the cup, though as your thoughts came back to you, you could taste the bitter caffeine against your tongue. As you came back to reality, you realized you were sitting on the couch, Billy sitting on the chair not too far away from you. Taking another sip, you listened to Billy as he spoke, hoping you'd be able to fit back into the conversation despite your little memory. 


	4. IV

"How do you like it up in the big city?" Billy asked, before taking another sip of his coffee. "White mentioned you a ton, but he always mentions you back in college." 

"It's not too bad," you replied with a shrug, a gentle smile on your face. "Pretty loud, but I'm both thankful and terrified to be between arches. The New York villains are nothing to scoff at." You shuddered at the thought, before taking another sip of your coffee. "I'm hoping on someone like The Wandering Spider, but I hear that Red Death has his eye on us." 

"Red Death?" Billy said, practically choking on his coffee. "I've heard he, like, vaporizes people." 

"Exactly why I'd prefer someone like the Wandering Spider," you said with a nervous chuckle. "Or even Wide Wale. I mean, I hear with him, if I pay off the local talent, I don't have to deal with any property damage." Pausing to take another sip of your coffee, you continued. "Do you guys have one, or have you been steering clear?" 

"We want one!" Billy replied enthusiastically. "So far, squat, though." 

"Pray that your level is low," you replied in a serious tone. "The early days were fun. Level three and four only required a little OSI guidance, but level ten is just as it sounds. I unfortunately promise you, good doesn't always triumph." 

"How long until you know another's coming your way?" Billy questioned curiously, practically at the edge of his seat from the topic of conversation. 

Biting your lip, you glanced down into your coffee. "Honestly, I'm hoping a little after they issue a new bodyguard," you replied. "This wonder woman-like superhero is supposed to be guarding my place for the time being, but I wouldn't even put her up against the Doom Factory." 

"Are you guys talking arches out here?" You could hear a very groggy sounding Pete ask as he made his way to grab a cup of coffee. It took what seemed like mere moments for him to end up sitting beside you, his arm practically wrapped around where you were sitting on the couch. "Wait, you have an arch, Y/N/N?" 

You felt your cheeks heating with blush once more as you heard your nickname drip off his tongue, but you were quick to reply. "Not right now," you said with a sheepish smile. "I'm currently in between arches." 

"White, she could get Red Death!" Billy practically blurted out. 

"Wait, no, The Red Death?" Pete replied in shock, the words alone waking him up without even sipping upon his coffee. "Do you even understand how dangerous that guy is?" 

"Terrifying," you replied, subconsciously cuddling into Pete's arm as you spoke. "I'm hoping for anything but by this point." 

"Wait, he has to be up there," Pete said skeptically. "How big is your company?" 

"Our biggest partner right now is VenTech, if that helps," you replied in a sheepish tone. 

Billy seemed as if he could not contain himself as he added in, "She qualifies for a level ten! A level ten arch! Like, wow!" 

"Tell me ya at least have a bodyguard er something," Pete chimed in skeptically, his red gaze shifted over to you. 

"Between that, too, but hoping the bodyguard thing happens before the new arch," you said with a nervous chuckle. 

"I just, I can’t believe you're a ten," Pete breathed out, before quickly correcting himself. "I mean, of course I know you're a ten, but I mean your company." 

"Pete!" You exclaimed with a giggle, your face heating with blush once more as you did. "It's too early for me to be smooth enough to even counter that one." 

"Then I take this as my win," he said in a confident tone, a smirk against his lips as he said it. 

"Probably the only one you're going to get, gorgeous," you replied with an eye roll, though you could not help the smile that formed against your lips. 

"Oh, we'll see about that," Pete replied in a challenging tone, his lips still confidently curled into a smirk as he spoke. "I can always just tickle you again." 

"And that should definitely count as cheating," you said with an eye roll, though you leaned into him more, careful to avoid his coffee. 

"It still involves me winning," he said with a shrug, his arm moving to wrap around your shoulder the slightest bit as you lied against him. 

"Anyhow," you said with an eye roll, a smile still prominent against your lips. "With all that musical education yesterday, I think we'll be able to make the perfect playlist today." 

"I still can't believe I had to show you nineties music!" Pete exclaimed, sipping his coffee before he continued. "You were my co host, and you didn't even know who Oasis was. She didn't even know Oasis!" 

"Well, I'm sorry that I got stuck in an eternal 80's loop," you replied with an eye roll, though your lips curled upwards the slightest bit more. "I appreciate you teaching me the ways of the newer wave." As you spoke, there was a teasing in your tone, though your words had been genuine. 


	5. V

As you showered, Pete and Billy had been in the living room, still with their cups of coffee. Billy had been on his second cup, while Pete was halfway done with his. The two could hear the gentle patter of the hot water as you showered, though they kept a quiet conversation between one another. 

"What the hell is wrong with you, White?" Billy exclaimed in a whisper scream, his free hand rising hastily in emphasis. "You've got a total babe there, someone stable with a huge company, and you haven’t even made a move on her? Are you legitimately gay?" 

"I'm not gay, Billy!" Pete exclaimed in a whisper, his lips taught as his brows furrowed. “Y/N was my co-host, even closer than Rust was to me in college. She, ya know, means a lot to me.”

“White, you actually have an opportunity here,” Billy said with an aggravated sigh, motioning with his hand towards the bathroom as he spoke for emphasis. As he continued to speak, everything was punctuated with the same type of emphasis. “You’re clearly into each other, and unless you want to leave her in your memories again, you don’t have long to act on this.”

“What makes ya say that, pally?” Pete replied, somewhat defensively as he leaned back against the couch. It was not like Pete had not actually thought of the idea of being with Y/N. For that matter, he could remember himself getting the courage up, once, to ask the woman if just maybe the two of them could have been something. Unfortunately for him, Brock had accidentally killed that quarterback on that day, leaving him out of luck and out of time. Pete had already run out of time trying to get to her once, but with this little opportunity, he didn’t have the same time to mull over the decision. 

_ “Y/N/N,” younger Pete, his brows furrowed as his red eyes stared forward, taking in his own expression in the mirror. “I, uh, fuck. What am I doing? We’ve been so close for so long. It shouldn’t be so hard to just tell you that I love you.” _

_ Pete moved his hand to the sink, splashing water in his face as he bent down, before glancing back up at the mirror. “Come on,” he continued, “I can just tell her over D and D.” As he spoke it, his lips curled to a frown as he knew it hadn’t been nearly as easy as the words fell from his lips. “Why would she even want me?” _

_ Closing his red eyes, he bit his lip as he tried to stable his mind, her words echoing in his head as they slipped past his lips. Trying so hard to psych himself up, he repeated her words. “You’re the ever-popular Pete White,” he said. “Gorgeous, I don’t know where I’d be without you.” Pausing, he frowned. “Why does she send me so many messages? She has to at least feel a little something for me, right? Jeez, I’ve just gotta go for it.” _

_ “If you don’t, then someone else will,” he could hear another voice say from the bathroom, causing him to spin around. In front of Pete stood long haired Rusty Venture, a serious look against his face as he stared back. “If you two aren’t actually screwing, you’re going to want to get on that.” _

_ “What do ya mean, pally?” Pete replied with a huff, his lips curled downwards at his friend. “I swear if you touch her-.” _

_ “Oh, not me,” Rusty replied with his hands up, shaking his head. A laugh escaped his lips as he continued. “Whenever I see Y/N, she normally has albino all over her.” He motioned to Pete as he spoke. “But I’ve heard people talking. It’s not like she isn’t a total babe.” _

“Well, once she goes back to New York City, do you think you’ll ever see her again?” Billy said with a deadpan look as his face turned serious. “Unlike you, who does nothing all the time, she’s constantly running her business. Just because she drops her work once to come out and see you, do you think she’d be able to do that all the time?”

“Well, no,” Pete replied in a dejected tone, taking another sip of his coffee. “I know she wouldn’t be able to do that. I just, ah jeez, I just don’t want to screw up what we have. It’s like we’re back in college, just screwing around all the time, and it’s, ya know, comfortable. She’s always been like this, and she’s never made a move on me.”

“White, I’ve never seen you like this with a chick,” Billy spoke in a serious tone. “And she’s a total babe. If you’re so worried about screwing it up, why don’t you try after the gig?” 

The two immediately shared a look as they heard the door of the bathroom click open, your footsteps nearing the two. Pete had practically dove to his controller, while Billy moved to seem as if he had been cleaning the house. Though you could tell there was a little something off as you stepped into the room, you moved to take a seat beside Pete. 

  
  



	6. VI

“Well, you said to shove a few platonic songs in it,” Pete said with a shrug, motioning to the laptop screen. “So, why not TLC? It’s a classic.”

“Okay, you’re telling me it’s a classic when you introduced it to me yesterday,” you teased in return, a smirk against your lips. “I’m not complaining, just a little shocked is all. This is the same reaction I had with Wannabe, Pete.”

“What, do you think it’s girly or something?” Pete replied with a raised brow. 

With a smirk, you leaned against Pete’s shoulder as you said, “We passed girly at Candy Man, but no, no, they’re all good points. Honestly, the goal is to get people dancing, and you’re spot on. I just would have figured I’d be the one to suggest No Scrubs.”

“And I never expected you to suggest Mambo No. 5, but ya did,” he teased in return, moving to wrap the arm you had been lying on around your waist. 

“What can I say, Pete?” you said with a smirk. “We clearly complete each other.”

“Ya know, you’re not wrong,” he said with a chuckle, a tint of blush against his cheeks as he spoke. “I could also suggest Butterfly. Is that going to surprise you?”

“Not at all,” you replied warmly, curling into his warmth as a grin stretched across your face. “I’d say put that before I Knew I Loved You so we’re keeping a good flow.”

“I love the way you think,” Pete murmured warmly, using his free hand to move the song onto the playlist. “Maybe that’s why you’re, ya know, the best co-host I could ever ask for.”

“And I’m the one that’s too smooth?” you chided, a wry smile against your lips. “How about we shove in some Men at Work? Down Under?”

“This may sound a little strange, but how about we put it after Genghis Khan?” Pete suggested, his red gaze glancing back to you. “I’m sure that would keep the flow.”

“Gorgeous, you know you’re a genius, right?” you replied with a smirk against your lips. 

“I do,” he teased confidently, before adding the last song to the list and placing his laptop to his stand, before glancing over to you. Within seconds, he had pulled you back on the bed, the two of you staring up at the ceiling as his arm was still wrapped around your shoulders. “So, tell me about what you’ve been up to, Y/N/N. We haven’t seen each other since college, and all I know is that you’ve been living under a rock.”

You chuckled softly in reply, a smile against your lips. “Honestly, there isn’t much else to it, Pete,” you replied. “I spent a few years getting life back together after college, and then I started up Progetural Progressed. This is literally the most adventure I’ve had since college, sans the whole arch enemies. My bodyguard apparently died or something, and my last arch was suggested to move on while the OSI replaced them. I wish I had some fascinating stories to tell you, gorgeous, but-.”

“Didn’t ya, ya know, have that little ten year plan you told me about when we were still in college?” Pete asked you curiously, shifting to glance at you as he spoke. “That one that you wanted to be married and all that?”

“I did,” you replied with a sigh, “but that was just wishful thinking, I guess. I mean, clearly.” Afterwards, you chuckled, attempting to keep high spirits at the thought. 

“You were the prettiest girl at SU, though, Y/N/N,” he said with a frown. “Landing someone would’ve been easy for you.”

“I mean, if we want to go by your logic, Pete,” you said, pushing a smirk against your lips, “the most handsome guy from SU would be taken, too, wouldn’t he?”

“I wouldn’t know about that,” he laughed, before he realized what you were saying, blush covering his cheeks. “Oh! Of course that’s just you being smooth again. I’m serious, though, Y/N/N.”

“So am I, Pete,” you replied with an eye roll. “I’ve never just complimented you for the fun of it, but the way you fluster is definitely an added bonus.”

Pete furrowed his brows, before moving his free hand to your side, turning to the side to face you as he tickled you. “And the way you fluster when I do this is, ya know, the best,” he teased, his face merely inches from yours as you squirmed. “I mean, just look at the blush on your cheeks. So cute!”

“Y-you know I can’t win when y-you’re doing this,” you forced out through your laughter as you squirmed. 

“And that’s just one of the many reasons I love to do it,” he teased in return, though his hot breath had basically been against your face the entire time. As he finally let up, allowing you to breathe once more, the two of you had been face to face, nearly lips to lips. For a moment, Pete’s red gaze flickered to your lips, as if he were contemplating, before he moved to simply lie upon his back once more. “So, I have an idea.”

Quirking your brow, your gaze shifted to Pete, wondering what he could have possibly been thinking of doing. “What are you thinking, gorgeous?” you asked finally, subconsciously curling into him more as you lied beside him. 

“Well, I wanna make you a surprise,” Pete replied with a grin. “Since all we’re gonna have to do is set up tomorrow beforehand, I think it would be fun to have you pop in with my introduction.”

“Is Rusty going to kill us?” you replied with a quirked brow, eying Pete skeptically. 

Pete chuckled in reply, saying, “Well, you remember how he was back in college, so probably. It’ll be fun, though!”

  
  



	7. VII

“Alright, people,” you could hear Rusty saying as you stood beside the large door, awaiting Pete’s version of your flashy re-introduction. “I don’t have to tell you how important this mission is. The targets should already be familiar to you all, as should the assigned roles. My assistant is distributing your final itineraries, and some of the details have changed, so let’s review. Samson?”

“Transportation,” Brock had said in return. You could still remember Brock from college, but were sure you couldn’t blame him for the whole situation that went down during that dungeons and dragons game. 

“Have you acquired a vehicle yet?” Rusty asked in return, and you were sure the man’s brows had been furrowed. 

“Affirmative,” Brock replied. “Sphinx commandeered a limo on our last job in Paraguay.”

“Perfect,” Rusty replied, surely with a grin atop his lips. “And, uh, good to have you back. Hatred?”

“Security,” a man you were unfamiliar with said. “I’m to secure-.”

“Sargent, what the hell’s going on with your face?” Rusty asked curiously. 

You weren’t sure exactly how far down the line that Pete had been, but you had your casual wear on as you leaned against the outside of the establishment. Since security had already been inside, surely you knew no one would catch on that you were standing outside until Pete’s grand introduction. It still made a little anxiety grow in your chest thinking that Pete had not cleared with Rusty that you were coming out in the first place, but you felt a little flustered from the fact that Pete wanted to make you like a grand entrance. 

“You like it?” the man replied, clearly grinning. “It’s a big V!”

“So, what, are you Sargeant Vatred now?” Rusty exasperated. 

“Nah, it stands for Venture,” the man replied, clearly excited. “I had all the others removed except for the D. Cause, let me tell you, tender vittles down there.” 

“White?” you could hear Rusty say, and your heart pounded in your chest. 

Sucking in a nervous breath, you readied yourself mentally for your own arrival. Nimble fingers moved through your y/h/c locks, straightening yourself up as you awaited the signal. Each second that passed made you all the more nervous, and yet excited, all at the same time. 

“Aural Enhancement,” you could hear Pete say, clearly with a smirk against his lips. 

“Where’s your equipment?” Rusty questioned skeptically. 

“This is all I need,” he said, “aside from my lovely cohost.”

“Co-host?” Rusty questioned skeptically. “Oh, wait, you don’t mean-.”

“He does,” you said with a smirk, striding into the building with unearned confidence. 

“Holy,” Rusty started, his jaw practically dropped to the floor as he saw you walk in, the line giving you enough room to scooch beside Pete. “Y/N?! You- I heard you made it big, and you actually came out here? I’m not paying her, am I?”

“No, you’re not,” you replied with an eye roll, though your smirk had not left your lips. “This is my version of a vacation. It’s nice to see you, and uh, you two, Brock.” 

As you spoke, Pete slipped his arm around your waist, his own lips curled upwards. “I wanted to make sure to bring nothing but the best,” he said, directed towards Rusty, though his red eyes trailed down to you as he spoke. 

“Oh, will you two just screw already?” Rusty exasperated, before turning to the next male in line. He walked through the rest of the jobs, all from people you had not recognized, but you stood quietly in line as you listened. Once he finished up with some of the complaints, he finally continued, addressing all of you. “All right, people. We launch at 2100 hours. Synchronize watches. At my mark, it’ll be 17:01, no, 17:02, 17:03, 17:04- wait, that’s way too fast. What? Oh, I had it in stopwatch mode! Okay, the time is now...tetris. Nevermind. Everybody, just be dressed and ready in like an hour, okay? Any questions? Yes, Dean?”

“Uh, what’s our mission?” the younger boy questioned curiously. 

“Your mission is to have the best goddamned homeschool prom $500 can buy,” Rusty said, moving his arm in emphasis as he spoke. 


	8. VIII

As the rest dispersed, Pete grinned down at you as he pulled you closer for just a moment. “That surprised look on his face was priceless,” he said warmly, before he began leading you towards wherever the two of you were going to change into your prom-esque outfits. “So glad I got to keep you as a surprise, Y/N/N.”

“I kind of expected Rust to be a little pissed you didn’t mention anything about me prior,” you said with a giggle as you walked with Pete to what seemed to be someone’s room, presumably Rusty’s with the decor. “His immediate response brought me right back, though.”

“I know, right?” Pete said with a chuckle, moving to grab the bag that held his outfit. “How many times did he say that back in college?”

You moved to grab your own, which had been in a bag underneath the one that he moved. As Billy and Pete had been in the compound earlier, you were sure that was how your clothing actually got placed in a safe spot. “Countless times,” you said with a giggle as you glanced around to see if there was a bathroom. “Normally he would simply accuse us of fucking, though.” As you spoke, you slipped into the bathroom to change, quickly slipping off the casual outfit, swapping into an off-black dress with maroon accents, the dress curve hugging. The dress extended past your knees, the top being a halter with lace accents. Upon your neck, you tied a matching choker with a somewhat dracula-esque nature to it. 

“I’m not sure what his obsession with it was,” Pete said absently through the door as he pulled on his own outfit. “What I am sure of is I’m curious to see what possible prom outfit you could have chosen. I, ya know, forgot to even tell you to pack something formal!”

As you did your y/h/c hair up in a formal style, you smirked into the mirror. “Well, you did say we were playing a prom, Pete,” you said with a sarcastic nature. “I was sure the dress code wasn’t skinny jeans.” Chuckling afterwards, you finished pinning up your hair, a smile against your lips as you added your matching earrings. “Let me know when you’re dressed, handsome.”

“How are you so quick?” he exasperated. “Well, you could come out. It’s not like you haven’t seen me shirtless.”

Chuckling softly, you moved to open the door, trying to act as chilled as possible. Heart racing in your chest, your y/e/c orbs landed upon the half dressed albino male, seemingly just buttoning his dress pants by this point. His upper half had been completely exposed, pinkish ivory skin reflecting in the reflective sunlight of the room. For a moment, your y/e/c gaze simply stared at him, your mind unable to think of anything witty to say as a crimson blush filled your cheeks. Mouth dry, you had to flicker your eyes away for a moment before you even remembered what you were going to say prior to the door opening. 

“What, ya like what ya see?” he taunted as for a moment, he paused, a smirk making its way to his lips. 

Rolling your eyes finally, you retorted, “Oh, sorry, I just forgot how to breathe for a second.” A smirk formed upon your lips as you walked further into the room, twirling a strand of your hair between your fingertips. “What were you saying, handsome?” Your voice had a great deal of jest laced with your words, no matter how hard your heart beat echoed in your chest.

Pete rolled his eyes, though blush formed against his cheeks as he moved to grab his shirt. He could feel his own stirring in his heart at your words, and had not even had the chance to admire your outfit until his overcoat was being slipped onto his body. Taking a long blink, he nearly visibly gaped as he admired your outfit. “Talk about breath-taking,” he replied with a smirk, visibly glancing at you up and down with his red gaze. “And wait, is that-.” His gaze stopped at your neck, his eyes widening as he remembered the day he gave you the choker. 

_ “I, ya know, thought it’d look great on ya,” younger Pete said, a sheepish grin against his lips as he held up a gothic style choker. The sigil upon it seemed very vampire-esque, but the way that Pete grinned about it had your heart fluttering. “I know it’s not really your style, but-.” _

_ Your lips curled upwards as you felt blush heating in your cheeks. The two of you had been getting ready to DJ a formal dance at the college, and you knew Pete wasn’t someone with a lot of pocket change to his name. Neither of you had been at college, and yet your y/e/c orbs gazed back and forth between the choker and Pete. “Not my style?” you said with a giggle. “Personally, I think it’s adorable. Thank you, Pete. You didn’t have-” _

_ “Of course I did,” he said with a grin, moving closer to you. “This is our first gig together, Y/N/N. It’s all about the music, but appearance plays a key role. That, and ya know, ya do so much for me.” Excitedly, he continued. “Do ya mind if I put it on you?” _

_ “Please,” you said with a grin against your lips. You scooped your y/h/c locks to the side, allowing enough room for Pete to use his nimble fingers to slip the choker around your neck.  _

_ Though he took a few minutes getting the clasp properly, you felt as his fingers moved from your neck, watching him move back in front of you. For a moment, you watched as he moved to grab the hand mirror from your dorm dresser, holding it up for you. “Personally, I think ya look perfect,” he said as he waited for your reaction.  _

_ Chuckling, you moved to set the mirror down before wrapping your arms around Pete in a tight embrace. “I love it,” you hummed into his shoulder. “You caught me so off-guard, I don’t even have a fun response.” _

Your hand moved to touch the sigil gently, your lips curled upwards as you did. “The same,” you said enthusiastically. “I thought it would be appropriate, and admittedly I wear it more than you would think.”

“Ya know, I’m even shocked you still have it, let alone wear it,” he said with a chuckle, buttoning his jacket up. “It still looks amazing on you, let alone that outfit. Wait, come ‘ere for a second.” The two of you stood in front of Rusty’s body mirror, Pete slipping his arm around your waist as he gazed into it. His eyebrow raised as his red eyes moved from the mirror back over to you. “Y/N/N, I don’t see you in fifteen years, and somehow we match completely. It totally looks like we did this on purpose.” 

“What kind of team would we be without the right chemistry?” you replied, subconsciously cuddling into his grip. “Clearly, the universe has been waiting for us to play another gig together.” As you spoke, you had jest in your tone, a little giggle following your words. “Come on, handsome. I’m sure I can set up and admire the view at the same time.”

“Ya know, you’re like, too smooth for your own good,” he teased as the two of you made your way out of the room. 


	9. IX

You had just finished plugging in the mic, while Pete leaned over your set up to test it. “Set, set,” he started, while you moved the gauge up and down slowly, trying to catch the proper pitch. “Check, check one. Check. Michaelson. Ingrid Michaelson, check.” As he spoke, his red gaze gleamed with mischief, clearly teasing you about your supposed girly music. 

You rolled your eyes as the two of you managed to hit the proper pitch, saying, “At least I’m the only one that knows why that’s so funny.”

“No, he told me, too,” Billy said, popping up basically from out of nowhere. “And wait, did you two plan that?” He glanced between the two of you, raising an eyebrow as he did. “You two had to have planned that.”

Sharing a look with Pete, you giggled softly. “I can promise you, I brought this from home, and he forgot to even tell me to bring formal wear,” you said with a shrug. 

“But, we woulda totally won prom king and queen if we went to the same high school with this,” Pete chimed in confidently, a chuckle following his words.    
  
“I mean, you two could win it at a funeral,” Billy chided with a chuckle. “Speaking of funerals, you're playing the Fun Boys Three version of Our Lips Are Sealed?”

“The Go-Go’s are a little stale,” the two of you said at the same time. 

“How did you two-,” Billy said with a wide eye before rolling his eyes, continuing. “And the Fun Boys Three is springtime fresh?!” With an aggravated sigh, he threw his hands up in the air. “Plus, it’s depressing. It’s a prom, not a funeral.”

“Alright,” Pete said, stiffening as he moved to cross his arms, letting go of your waist as he attempted to be mad at his friend. “Just for that, we’re not going to play push it.”

“But our dance!” he replied with disappointment in his tone. “We’ve been rehearsing all week. Come on, Y/N, I’m sure you can convince him.”

“Don’t try to use my co-host against me,” Pete said with an eye roll. “It’s inhumane.”

“It’s physically impossible,” you said with a smirk, leaning up against him as you said it. “I haven’t known how to truly disagree with him since the day we met.”

“You two are ridiculous,” Billy said with an exhausted sigh. “You’re like the same person, and one White was enough.”

“Oh, come on, pally,” Pete said with a smirk. “Ya know she’s the most fun we’ve had out here in years.” As he spoke, he went to tickle your sides, the only thing holding you up as his nimble fingers did their work being his hands. “See?”

“As much as I love watching you and your girlfriend,” Billy said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, “I actually need to borrow her for a minute. Rusty needed something.”

“What’s Rust want with Y/N?” Pete asked curiously, replacing his tickling nimble fingers with his hands as he stood you back up. For a moment, his hands stayed upon your waist, before setting you free, though you could tell there was a frown against his lips. “Ain’t no way I’m letting him pull what he normally does.”

“It’s nothing like that,” Billy said quickly, before practically dragging you along. “It’ll just be a minute.”


	10. X

“I must be going blind,” you could hear a fruity, familiar voice call out behind you as you were walking with Billy outside. You knew that Billy had to go deal with whatever Rusty had cooked up, but you could not help turning your head to see if your ears had been deceiving you. “Who got you out of your tower, Rapunzel?”

“Shore Leave?” you questioned with a smirk against your lips, crossing your arms as you gazed at the man. “I must be going crazy, because those assholes told me you were dead.”

“I’m as fit as a fiddle, my darling,” he replied in an exuberant tone, his lips curled upwards as he walked over to the two of you. 

“You two know each other?” Billy questioned in a curious tone, seemingly stopped when you had.

“That’s classified,” he jested with a smile, before taking you into a side hug. “Glad to see they didn’t set you up with an idiot and get you killed, but what are you even doing out of New York?”

You returned the side hug, your lips forming a grin as you replied, “Well, I’m glad to see you’re alive, too! And they haven’t even set me up with anyone. I’ve been relying on heroes with capes in the meantime. As for being here, well, I got a call from my past.”

“You’re kidding me,” he replied with a laugh. “I can see it in your eyes, sweetheart. The one you always-.”

Sending Shore Leave a glare, you crossed your arms over your chest. “Let’s not talk about that, but yes,” you said in a half hushed tone. “As for embarrassing me, don’t you have some top secret work to do, or some guy to lay?”

Shore Leave took a glance into the building beside the two of you, a wry smile against his lips. “Well, I just may,” he replied with a laugh, “but I just couldn’t miss the opportunity to see you out of your dungeon. You never leave New York! You can bet your sweet bippy I was tired of hearing you, all talk and no action.”

You rolled your eyes, though a grin still sat upon your face as you moved your hand to start motioning Billy to keep on moving. “It was nice seeing you, Shore Leave,” you said with kindness behind your words as you used your free hand to wave. Once the two of you walked far enough away, you breathed a sigh of relief. “I did tell you guys I was between bodyguards.”

“Was he talking about what I think he was?” Billy replied with a slight smirk against his lips, glancing up at you. “That you’ve actually been talking about W-.”

“Constantly, non-stop, like a schoolgirl since college?” You replied, a smirk against your lips as your brows furrowed slightly. “You better know how to keep a secret, boy genius. Maybe I could breathe a name to my old, lower arches.”

“You really would?!” he replied enthusiastically, his lips curling upwards as he did. “But wait, why haven’t you just-.”

You placed your hand over your lips before glancing back and forth, dragging Billy to a quieter area. “This stays between us,” you said in a serious tone, searching his face as you bit your lip gently. “I almost did back in college. I mean, he was the one that got away. Shore Leave got to hear about that a million times. He just means too much to me for me to lose him.”

“You two are oblivious and impossible,” Billy exasperated in reply. 

“As I said, not a word if you want your name breathed to potential arches,” you replied as you recomposed yourself, forcing a smirk back upon your face. “Now what was it that Rust needed your help with anyways?”

“Oh, be real,” Billy said with an eye roll. “Don’t be dense. I actually dragged you out here to try to get you to realize you obviously have it bad for White, but it sounds like you already knew that.”

“Well, yeah,” you replied with a shrug. “I’m sure that’s been pretty obvious.”

“You’re both ridiculous!” Billy exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “Well, you can go back to setting up with him. Dr. Venture wanted me, because I think he’s hiring prostitutes.”

“To a-,” you started, before you slid your hand down your face. “Well, it is Rusty. I’m not shocked.”


	11. XI

Standing beside Pete, Billy standing in front of the two of you, the boys had shown up for their prom. At the same time that the boys had shown up, though, so had the apparent escorts that Rusty had ordered, and though you thought it was a bit of a silly thought, you wanted so badly to just slip your hand around Pete’s waist. An array of pretty women stood in formal wear, not too far away from Rusty’s boys, and for a moment, those what if’s flashed into your head again. 

“Ah!” Rusty exclaimed in clear excitement. “There are my guests of honor!” As he walked, he hastily passed his sons and their apparent dates, as well as Brock, walking closer to the escorts with his hands up in the air. “Well, that was prompt. And, may I say, the Mayflower Madam has not lost her touch? Meow.”

“Wow, he still does the meow,” you mused with a chuckle as you stood beside Pete, a deadpan look in your eyes as the women standing beside him clearly looked unamused. 

“How do you not even seem phased that he hired escorts?” Pete questioned, his red eyes glancing over to you as he spoke. 

Shrugging your shoulder, you met his gaze as you said, “Because I already knew, and the only eye candy I’ll be checking out stands right next to me anyhow.” As you spoke, your lips curled upwards into a smirk, winking at him as you did. 

“Ah, jeez,” Pete said with a tint of blush against his features, “Ya know, you’re the most gorgeous girl in this garage, though, right?”

“You’re still not going to win against me, Pete,” you chided, your smirk still clear against your lips. Even so, your cheeks flushed crimson as your gaze shifted for a moment. “But thanks. I may have actually needed that.”

“Well, ya always are,” he continued, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as he grinned. 

For a moment, neither of you said anything as you caught one another’s gaze. You had been nestled close in his arm, his warmth surrounding you as he held you close. Blush staining both of your faces, you could feel your heart speeding in your chest, desperately wishing you could just say those three words to him. 

“Now aren’t you two the cutest?” you could hear Shore Leave say behind the two of you. Give me a minute while I barf.”

“Oh, come on, pally,” Pete replied with a glare, Shore Leave’s words snapping you both back to reality. “She’s my-.”

“Co-host, best friend,” Shore Leave completed with a laugh. “Oh, don’t worry, dracula, I’ve heard plenty.”

“Shore!” you replied with a glare, tight lipped as you stared at the man. 

“You two know each other?” Pete questioned, a quirked brow as he glanced between you and Shore Leave. “And wait, you’ve been talking about me?”

By this point, your cheeks were a full crimson as you could not even find the words to say to either of them. Praying that Shore Leave would leave the subject had been a little something that you knew would not happen, but you still desired it nonetheless. At this moment, you regretted spilling your heart out to your gay bodyguard, but it had been a comfort to you at the time. 

“I was the one that kept your little girlfriend safe against plenty of arch villains,” he said proudly. “I may be with Sphinx now, but Rapunzel here was my favorite job. You bet your sweet bippy if you-.”

“Shore, don’t you have a date to be attending to?” you said with a glare. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Oh you know I just had to scare him a little,” Shore Leave replied with an eye roll. 

“Why does he call you Rapunzel?” Pete asked curiously, though he still hadn’t moved his arm from your shoulder through the experience. 

“I mean, have you met her?” Shore Leave chimed back in, moving his hands in emphasis as he spoke. “I’ve never seen her out of her tower, and I was her bodyguard for years. You must be something special to get her all the way out here.”

“I appreciate you without the embarrassment,” you replied, moving a hand to pinch the bridge of your nose. 

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he countered with a smirk against his lips, pausing for a moment. “See, nothing! Okay, fine, kiddies. I’ll leave you two be.” As soon as Shore Leave had walked away, you allowed a relieved sigh to escape your lips, though you felt there was likely at least a little consequences for his actions. 


	12. XII

“Welcome to the Venture boys’ homeschool prom,” Pete said into the mic, standing beside you. “Your DJ’s for the night will be the ever popular Pete White, and my lovely cohost-”

“Y/N L/N,” you took over, finally over your fluster from earlier on. “We’ll be bringing you a perfect mesh of generational music for you to groove to.”

“So put on your dancing shoes for some Daft Punk to start your night off with,” Pete finished, while you moved the dials to create the ambiance. He moved his slender fingers to flip the music on, turning the mic off as he grinned at you. “It seems you still haven’t lost your touch.”

“Neither have you,” you replied with a chuckle, a touch of blush against your cheeks. “It felt good to be able to introduce just about anything with you again, honestly.”

“I better see you grooving up here with me,” he teased with a smirk against his lips. “After all, ya know, we created the best playlist.”

“Well, I mean, I can’t embarrass myself in front of you more than Shore has anyhow, so of course,” you teased, though your cheeks heated with blush as you spoke, mentally cursing you for bringing that back up. 

“That reminds me,” he said, a smirk against his face. “You’ve been talking about me?”

“I-,” you started, chuckling as you rolled your eyes. “Why wouldn’t I talk about the most important person in my life?” 

“You’re even smooth when I’m trying to embarrass you,” he chided, rolling his red eyes. “That’s really sweet of ya, though. I guess I really needed to hear that.”

“Well, it’s true,” you said with a grin against your lips. “I mean, you’ve been the closest person to me, probably since ever.”

“See, now this just makes me wish I called ya sooner,” Pete said with a grin, a touch of blush against his cheeks. “With ya being all successful and all that, I just didn’t want to bug you, though.”

“It’s never bugging when it comes from you, Pete,” you replied. In this moment, you wondered if this was the moment that you would actually be able to say those words. So badly, you wished you could say those words to him, to actually delve deeper and spill your heart to Pete, and yet, you refrained. Of course he had been the closest thing to you, the one person you loved more than anything, and yet it would not pass your lips. 

“That’s good to know,” he said with a grin, before moving behind you to grab your waist, swaying you back and forth with him. By this point, the song had changed from Get Lucky to Electric Love, and the two of you grooving to the song as you danced by the little DJ booth the two of you had. 

Your arms moved to his shoulders, from your position, smirking back at him as you caught his gaze. Though the two of you, from the outside in, likely looked a little dorky as your rocked out to Electric Love, you both grinned as you danced together. It had been like back when the two of you used to DJ the dances at SU, something you always glanced back fondly upon. In that moment, it was like the two of you were the only people in the room. 


	13. XIII

“We made out on top of you!” you could hear one of the men from down below start yelling, grabbing both yours and Pete’s attention. 

Pete managed to get to the mic before you had, calling out as he pointed, “Fight! There’s a fight!” 

As he spoke, you moved to grab the lights, revealing one of the men dressed in Sphinx garbs fighting with a man and woman you had not seen earlier. It was hard to hear their dispute, but the other guests seemed to flock around them as they had their little dispute. Fists had not started flying, and you stood beside Pete as the two of you watched it from above. 

“Who the hell are they?” you questioned, your y/e/c orbs glancing over to Pete. 

Pete pursed his lips for a moment, glancing down upon the group before glancing back over to you. “It looks like Rusty’s arch, and I think that guy in the Sphinx outfit is one of the henchmen. Ya now, I’m not completely sure on that one.”

“You would think with all the Sphinx operatives, and Brock around, they wouldn’t be this stupid to show up,” you said, shrugging your shoulders as a sigh escaped your lips. 

“Well, you’ve just felt the sting of the Mighty Monarch,” the man in a crown spoke, waving his hands in emphasis as he practically screamed. “Again, Dr. Venture, we have bested you! Good night and unpleasant dreams!” As the two made their way onto the stage, the man threw a smoke bomb, laughing supposedly evilly. 

“Well, that’s over,” you said with a chuckle as you moved to adjust the lighting once more. “And you were clearly right. I’m just kind of shocked that it seems like such a low leveled villain.”

As Pete moved to flick back on the music, he shrugged in reply. “Oh, hey, Drive By,” he said with a smirk, before pulling you by the hand. The two of you fell back into the groove, him taking you by the hands as the two of you danced together. “Despite that little hiccup, ya know, I think this has been a pretty successful night.”

“Any night with you is a successful night, Pete,” you teased as the two of you danced. “A little arching could never trump that.”

“I don’t know what I’ve been doing without my co-host all these years, ya know,” he said with a chuckle, spinning you around before the two of you went back to swaying. 

You chuckled, a grin atop your lips as you said, “I’ve been thinking the same since I’ve been out here with you, Pete.”

  
  



	14. XIV

The night was getting closer to an end, picking up again after Shallow Gravy or whatever the kid’s band ended up being, everyone for the most part either dancing or making out. You could feel a tightness in your heart, knowing that your stay was coming to an end. Once the morning came, you were heading back to New York, back to your career. It hadn’t mattered that it was a Friday, as you realized more and more the extended time that you spent with Pete, the more you wanted. 

What snapped you out of your thoughts was a song that you had not remembered placing on the playlist. You quirked a brow at this, but the moment that Pete took your hand, you felt as if your heart was on fire. Y/e/c orbs shifted to Pete, sheer curiosity shining in your eyes. 

“Ah, jeez, uh,” he started, shockingly a little flustered as he set the headphones down with his other hand. “Can we slow dance?”

You felt blush rising in your cheeks, a grin making its way to your lips. “I’d love to, Pete,” you murmured softly. Moving your hands to his shoulders sheepishly, his hands made their way to your waist. Neither of you had been the greatest of dancers, but the moment the lyrics to the song began playing, you felt this new sense of tightness in your heart. Y/e/c gaze quickly met his red eyes as you curiously asked, “Was this a late addition?”

“I,” he started, chuckling softly as he pulled you closer to him, the two of you swaying back and forth. “I thought you’d like it. It’s a little cheesy, but-.”

You moved your hands so that your arms were wrapped around his neck, body flush up against Pete as the two of you danced. “You’re not wrong, on both accounts,” you said with a giggle. The song that played was something that Pete had shown you a few days ago, a newer song by He is We. If you were to think back, it was called “I Wouldn’t Mind”. The song had practically highlighted how you were feeling, and specifically had been the reason why you had not mentioned placing it on the set list. 

As the song played through, you found yourself practically melting into Pete. Your mind spun with thoughts, your what if’s playing around in your head as you held close to the man you knew you loved. So desperately you wanted to tell him, to convey exactly how you had been feeling while you were melted into him, and yet you found your words falling short. In this moment, you just wanted to live in this perfect moment. 

When the song had been growing close to it’s finish, you whispered, “Pete, I wanted to thank you. Truly, being out here, with you, has been the best I’ve felt in years.”

“Y/N/N,” he murmured, causing you to glance up to him as the two of you danced. “I, you know, I don’t want to lose you again.”

“I mean, clearly you didn’t lose me,” you said with a wry smile, before biting your lip. “But I know what you mean.”

“I don’t know if you do,” he said, moving one of his hands from your waist to your cheek as he moved a slender thumb against your cheekbone. “Y/N, I’m in love with you. I wanted to tell you back in college…”

“...but then Samson threw us all around the room?” you questioned, a quirked brow as you stared up at him. 

“Wait, you knew?” Pete said with a frown. “Who told you?”

“No, no,” you said quickly, your gaze shifting away as your cheeks heated more with blush. “That’s when I was going to tell you. After that happened, everything just changed, and then we graduated.”

“I’ve regretted not saying those words for what, fifteen, twenty years now?” Pete replied with a slight chuckle. “I, wait, what?”

“I rehearsed for like, hours with my dorm-mate,” you said with a giggle. “It’s so easy for me to throw compliments to you, but actually opening up and telling you how I’ve been feeling...I was so scared that everything would change.” Swallowing hard, you continued. “I was honestly afraid you’d hate me or something.”

“Are you kidding?” Pete said with a laugh, holding you as tight as he could with the arm still around your waist. “I was scared you’d never talk to me again back in college, and I’ve been scared that I would like, make you leave if I said it now.”

“Well, what now?” you said curiously. “I, uh, I didn’t expect to get this far, honestly.”

“Neither did I,” he said with a laugh. His red eyes flickered to your lips before flickering back to your eyes. “I would really love to kiss you for starters, though.”

“Well, I’m waiting, handsome,” you said with a giggle, your lips curled upwards as the two of you closed the gap between your lips. 

The two of you meshed lips together gently at first, as if you were testing the waters. As the kiss continued, your arms still wrapped around his neck, ardor grew quickly, to the point it was practically lip-bruising. His hand moved from your face to your waist as the two of you melted into one another. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for,” Pete started, his forehead leaned against your own as the two of you caught your breath, “since I can remember, honestly.”

“Apparently there’s a right time for everything,” you said with a soft chuckle. “We just happened to take nearly twenty years.”

“Well, you know your ten year plan?” Pete said with a chuckle. “I uh, I don’t think it’s too late.”

“That plan’s just been waiting on you, apparently,” you teased with a smirk, before pulling him back into a passionate kiss. 

  
  
  



End file.
